Linker's Lesson Plan: Week 6

Casey Linker
Grade 12 / Environmental Science

Common Core Standards:

Environmental Science
SYLLABUS AND MODEL CURRICULUM COURSE DESCRIPTION
COURSE DESCRIPTION

Environmental science is a high school level course, which satisfies the Ohio Core science graduation
requirements of Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.603. This section of Ohio law requires a three-unit
course with inquiry-based laboratory experience that engages students in asking valid scientific
questions and gathering and analyzing information.
Environmental science incorporates biology, chemistry, physics and physical geology and introduces
students to key concepts, principles and theories within environmental science.
Investigations are used to understand and explain the behavior of nature in a variety of inquiry and
design scenarios that incorporate scientific reasoning, analysis, communication skills and real-world
applications. It should be noted that there are classroom examples in the model curriculum that can be
developed to meet multiple sections of the syllabus, so one well-planned long-term project can be used
to teach multiple topics.
SCIENCE INQUIRY AND APPLICATION

During the years of grades 9 through 12, all students must use the following scientific processes with
appropriate laboratory safety techniques to construct their knowledge and understanding in all science
content areas:
Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations;
Design and conduct scientific investigations;
Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications;
Formulate and revise explanations and models using logic and evidence (critical thinking);
Recognize and analyze explanations and models; and
Communicate and support a scientific argument.
COURSE CONTENT
The following information may be taught in any order; there is no ODE-recommended sequence.
EARTH SYSTEMS: INTERCONNECTED SPHERES OF EARTH

Biosphere
Evolution and adaptation in populations

 Biodiversity
Ecosystems (equilibrium, species interactions, stability)
Population dynamics
Atmosphere
Atmospheric properties and currents
Lithosphere
Geologic events and processes
Hydrosphere
Oceanic currents and patterns (as they relate to climate)
Surface and ground water flow patterns and movement
Cryosphere
Movement of matter and energy through the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere
Energy transformations on global, regional and local scales
Biogeochemical cycles
Ecosystems
Climate and weather
EARTHS RESOURCES

Energy resources
Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and efficiency
Alternate energy sources and efficiency
Resource availability
Mining and resource extraction
Air and air pollution
Primary and secondary contaminants
Greenhouse gases
Clean Air Act
Water and water pollution
Potable water and water quality
Hypoxia, eutrophication
Clean Water Act
Point source and non-point source contamination
Soil and land
Desertification
Mass wasting and erosion
Sediment contamination
Land use and land management (including food production, agriculture and zoning)
Solid and hazardous waste
Wildlife and wilderness
Wildlife and wilderness management
Endangered species
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

Human population
Potable water quality, use and availability
Climate change
Sustainability

 Species depletion and extinction

Air quality
Food production and availability
Deforestation and loss of biodiversity
Waste management (solid and hazardous)

Lesson Summary:
In this lesson the class will be learning all about the earths resources, more specifically energy
resources, water and water pollution, and wildlife and wilderness. We will build upon critical thinking
skills by incorporating scientific reasoning, communication skills, real-world problem solving, and
analysis.
Estimated Duration:
This lesson will take roughly 250 minutes, and I plan on teaching this by dividing it into five class
sessions. Each class runs at 50-55 minutes, making for an entire school week.
Commentary:
I plan on first discussing why it it important and necessary for them to know all of this information. I
will incorporate hands of activities in order to keep them interested through out the week. I have a
feeling they may get restless and struggle to pay attention when covering energy resources, so to avoid
that I will show appropriate, humorous videos to help guide my teaching. I will also start every class
with a trivia question and whomever answers correctly gets an extra credit point on their quiz. The last
class period will be used to take a test over the material that was taught over the course of the week.
Instructional Procedures:

Day 1:
First 5 minutes Allow time to answer trivia question (using pollseverywhere.com)
Question : Is solar energy a renewable resource?
Answer: Yes
Next 5 minutes - Discuss answer to question.
What makes it renewable?
How is it used?
Next 5 minutes explain importance of today's class topic while preparing for note taking.
Next 30 minutes cover key terms regarding renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and
efficiency. Also, discuss alternate energy sources that are available to us. Explain the differences
between renewable and alternate energy sources. Make sure to hit all key terms and have them clearly
defined.

Last 5 minutes : Finish up notes and allow time for last minute questions or discussion.

Day 2:
First 10 minutes Allow time to ask and answer trivia question (using pollseverywhere.com)
Question : Why is it important to try and conserve our natural resources such as water and oil?
Answer: Once humans run out of those resources we can not make more of them.
+1 point question: is there ever going to be an unlimited supply of oil? Why or why not?
Answer: No because oil takes millions of years for the earth to produce.
Next 5 minutes Prepare for taking notes and explain importance of class topic for the day.
Next 30 minutes Cover key terms regarding resource availability, and mining and resource extraction.
Last 5 minutes Finish up notes and answer any last minute questions.

Day 3 :
First 10 minutes Show class Notability application on the tablets and explain briefly how to use
them
Next 5 minutes Allow students to play with application and get a feel for taking notes on it.
Next 5 minutes Explain importance of today's topic and discussion.
Next 25 minutes Have students takes notes on their new application. Cover wildlife and wilderness
management and have them insert photos of endangered species into their notes. Explain what makes
these species endangered. Also touch briefly on the topic of greenhouse gases.
Last 5 minutes Students will have time to put their items away and ask any last minute questions.

Day 4:
First 5 minutes Introduce and explain today's lab activity surrounding today's topics of the clean
water act and water quality.
Next 35-40 minutes Allow students to complete the following assignment:
Students are to get creative and draw out a water filtering system that they believe will work. On a
piece
of paper they are to write down notes and be sure to answer the following questions:
Why do we need water filters? How can I make clean, drinkable water?
Last 5 minutes : Allow time for clean up and last minute questions.
Reminder: TEST TOMORROW

Day 5:
First 5 minutes - Have students take out yesterdays notes on water filtration and turn them in.
Next 5 minutes Allow class time to look over their notes for their test.

Next 35 minutes TEST

Next 5 minutes Allow any last minute quizzes to be finished up and turned in

Pre-Assessment:
To pre-assess my students I will have them create a small blog using Blogger by Google. At the
beginning of every week They will be instructed to tell me everything they know about the topic being
covered. If they do not know any info it does not effect their grade this is just to see what they know
and for them to be able to see their growth of knowledge on the subject at hand.
Scoring Guidelines:
When reviewing the students blogs I will rate them on a scale ranging 1-5; Using the following
templet :
Details . . . 1 2 3 4 5
Amount of Info . . . 1 2 3 4 5
Accuracy . . . 1 2 3 4 5
Overall Knowledge . . . 1 2 3 4 5
Post-Assessment:
The last class period will be used to take a test over the material that was taught over the course of the
week. The test consists of multiple choice, matching vocabulary, and one short essay response.
Scoring Guidelines:
The multiple choice questions are one point each and there will be ten questions. There is only
one correct answer for each question.
I will have a matching vocabulary section, these questions also only have one correct answer.
Lastly, the short essay response (worth a total of 30 points) will be graded using the following
guidelines:
Vocabulary . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6
Details . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6
Amount of Info . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6
Accuracy . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6
Overall Knowledge . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6

Differentiated Instructional Support

Every child learns at a different pace. In order to help meet the learning needs of each student I will
observe them for a few weeks and then give them different activities, tips, notes, etc, that they can use
to help them.
I will allow the use of online sources such as Chegg.com, students will just be asked to record their
findings and let me know what questions or topics they struggled with.
*Additional activities to help meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the material:
Office hours : I will stay after school for approximately one hour for anyone who needs
additional help. I will also offer tutoring sessions before school and during my lunch
hours. I try to be as flexible and convenient as I can for my students. These options are
offered Monday through Friday.
Extension
http://www.ensci.iastate.edu/
Iowa State University's Environmental Science website page. The students can go to the library link
and search any topic that we have covered and read articles and essays on the topic. They can use these
as references for papers or as a study tool.
Homework Options and Home Connections
At the beginning of every week students are to write a brief overview of what they know on the
upcoming class topic and post it on their Blogger page.
Typically I do not give out homework assignments every night, instead I give them an assignment in
class where they must fill in the blanks and answer the questions. They will find the answers through
the lecture. I will collect and grade them after their tests, in order to allow students to use papers as a
study tool.
Lastly, students will be required to write two essays, and I will use the website turnitin.com to grade
them.
Interdisciplinary Connections
Students are required to complete two papers by the end of the semester. One paper will focus on
climate change and the effects it is having on the environment. Students will be asked to look back into
history and record temperatures that were recorded throughout the year. They will need to explain why
these changes took place and what can be done slow down the effects.
Materials and Resources
Teacher Materials and Resources :

Laptop or Computer

iPad (Apps)

Projector (Notes)

Textbook

Student Materials and Resources :

Laptop or Computer

iPad or iPhone

Notebook/Pencil

Textbook

Key Vocabulary
energy
renewable resource
nonrenewable resource
water (h20)
wildlife
desertification
Hypoxia
greenhouse gases
contaminants

Additional Notes
This lesson plan is for a weeks worth of material, I will write a new lesson plan at the end of each
week.